San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-03-14

whole room. Leah looked up at him
with admiring eyes.
"What is itI' with a laugh in his
own.
II was thinking-yOuve grown good
LOOKING since you were a SchOOlbOy.'
THANK you" not disclaiming the
fact. Now I'm going TO find Kitty
AT your own peril;n but he took
the risk readily enough, and found his
way out through the house like one
quite accustomed to it.
Leah took up her buttonhOles with a
weary little sigh.
Its worse to have nOne.'" The
nursery jingle rang in her head. Just
now Mason's coming made matters
worse. lie seemed so strong and buoy
ant, so able TO control life. He was
poor, too, but he had strength and
brains and mans chance to use them
If his feet were on the lower rungs of
the ladder now, there was nothing to
hinder his mounting to the leisure and
luxury above.
six years" she thought, bitterly.
81 get furious sometimes. NOtime for
any thing but work. And Kitty's years
going just as mine have gone"
The elm shadows were lengthening
across the grassy yard. Little breaths
of GOODNESS came in at the open win
dows; a white moon began to show IL
self palely in the afternoon sky. She
folded the last garments of the dozen,
gathered up her scattered threads in a
methOdical fashion, and went out to lay
the table for tea.
1t was not an elaborate meal. There
was bread and butter and plain light
cake, and a heaping glass dish of ber-
ries. When all was ready, she looked
at the table doubtfully.
dick will stay to tea," she thought;
turning toward the cellar with thought
of the resources there.
IF do, we shall 60 without at our
lunch Tomorrow" setting her lips. 1t
was trifle, but just now Leah Allen
had come to place where there are no
trines.
Mason was in the garden still. She
could hear his voice and the treble of
Kitty's laughter. They came in to-
gether, and Mrs. Allen followed them.
Leah was like her mother in looks and
manners; the same soft dark hair and
fathomleSs, untroubled eyes. 1t was
easy to guess what the younger woman
would be with twenty more years over
her head.
Kitty ran up the steep, narrow stairs
to the lOw-ceiled chamber. Mason went
back to the sitting-rO room with Leah.
Il want you to go. You have hardly
been anywhere this summer. Kitty will
say yes-with word from you"
Il do not see"
There seems no reason why it should
not be a success" ignoring her begin
ming of an objection, land George Hol-
land will be there"
II do not know George Holland"
THAT Is precisely the strong part of
my argument. l want you to know
him. He is rich; he is wise; he is the
best of good fellows"
Kitty came in then. Her toilets never
took long. The dsarray was all ex-
ternal. To kick off the ragged slippers
and step into pair of whole ones, to
shake out and gather up into one loose
coil the lovely hair that rippled and
waved and dropped of itself in curly
rings about her face, took only a min
ute. The white wrapper had its own
finishings of frills and lace about the
neck and wrists; the whole thing was
complete in ten minutes. If Leah had
the skirt and sacque and slippers to put
in place by-and-by, at least Kitty never
kept any one waiting.
That night, when Dick Mason had
gone with half-promiSe that his invi-
tatiOn would be accepted, and Kitty was
gossiping in the moonlight with girl
friend, Leah and her mother sat on the
cottage porch. Both had been quiet a
long time. They had the gift of silence,
these two women.
Mother, if you had your life to live
over, would you marry poor MANI"
Mrs. Allen did not answer for long
minute.
IF loved him." she said, rather
family.
Leah did not know that her mothers
marriage had been prominently "a love
match" Henry Allen had won her
from circle in which she was sought
for and petted. He let her give up all
the goods of life because she loved him,
and then his tickle fancy tired of her.
When he died, five years after their
marriage, Mrs. Allen felt that as far as
she was concerned life had not been a
success. And still she said, true to her
womanhOOd, If | loved him" to her
daughters question.
Does it pay, | wOnder?" Leah said,
again, mOOdily.
ut depends-a little. There are wo-
men"
And women" breaking in with
short laugh. Mother, shall marry